Yogatantra, Yoga-tantra: 10 definitions
Introduction:
Yogatantra means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, the history of ancient India. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.
In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Yogatantra (योगतन्त्र).—Authorship attributed to Viṣvaksena.*
- * Bhāgavata-purāṇa IX. 21. 26.
The Purana (पुराण, purāṇas) refers to Sanskrit literature preserving ancient India’s vast cultural history, including historical legends, religious ceremonies, various arts and sciences. The eighteen mahapuranas total over 400,000 shlokas (metrical couplets) and date to at least several centuries BCE.
Ayurveda (science of life)
Yogatantra (योगतन्त्र) is the name of a work related to Ayurveda and medicine referenced by the “cikitsa bidhane tantrasastra”—a Bengali work authored by ‘Krishna Chaitanya Thakur’ in three volumes dealing with the treatments for diseases and disorders collected from Tantric and Ayurvedic texts.—Eastern India is one of the major strongholds of Tantrism in South Asia, and this region, particularly Bengal, has played and still plays a prominent role in the development of Āyurveda. It is indeed a fact that much medically relevant material is to be found in [the Yogatantra, or other] Tantric texts. The “cikitsā bidhāne tantraśāstra” (by Kṛṣṇacaitanya Ṭhākur) contains wealth of medicines and remedies for a large variety of diseases and disorders, arranged according to the individual diseases or disorders. The material presented is culled from a variety of texts [e.g., yogatantra], [most of which] seem to be classed as Tantric, but some are quite obviously not so, though their material may be related to that to be found in Tantric texts.
Āyurveda (आयुर्वेद, ayurveda) is a branch of Indian science dealing with medicine, herbalism, taxology, anatomy, surgery, alchemy and related topics. Traditional practice of Āyurveda in ancient India dates back to at least the first millenium BC. Literature is commonly written in Sanskrit using various poetic metres.
Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)
Yogatantra (योगतन्त्र) refers to one of the Tantras mentioned in the Mahāmokṣa-Tantra, a Sanskrit manuscript collected in volume 12 of the catalogue “Notices of Sanskrit Manuscripts (second series)” by Mahamahopadhyaya Haraprasad Shastri.—The Mahāmokṣatantra manuscript, consisting of 3,024 ślokas (metrical verses), is deposit: Dhaka, Vikramapura Majhapada, Babu Rasavihari Raya. It deals with the salvation, cosmogony (i.e., the order of cosmic regions) and contains a bibliography of Tantric literature.—The catalogue includes the term—Yoga-tantra in its ‘subject-matter list’ or Viṣaya (which lists topics, chapters and technical terms).
Shaiva (शैव, śaiva) or Shaivism (śaivism) represents a tradition of Hinduism worshiping Shiva as the supreme being. Closely related to Shaktism, Shaiva literature includes a range of scriptures, including Tantras, while the root of this tradition may be traced back to the ancient Vedas.
In Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)
Yogatantra (योगतन्त्र) refers to one of the “Nine Vehicles” (In Nyingma) which in Tibetan are known as theg pa dgu.
Yoga Tantra refers to one of the “Four Classes of Tantra” which are known in Tibetan as rgyud kyi sde bzhi.—The full list is: action tantra, performance tantra, yoga tantra, and highest yoga tantra.
Yogatantra (योगतन्त्र) refers to the “mode of meditation” and represents one of the divisions of Mahāyāna-Vajrayāna Buddhism, according to Buddhist teachings followed by the Newah in Nepal, Kathmandu Valley (whose roots can be traced to the Licchavi period, 300-879 CE).—Mahāyāna-Vajrayāna is commonly divided into four modes of practice, kriyā, "action", worshiping and serving a deity seen as outside oneself, caryā, "performance", embodying a deity by performing its ritual music and dance, yoga, "meditation", visualizing a deity or deities and absorbing them into oneself, and anuttarayoga, "the highest yoga", using sophisticated yogic meditation practices to actively turn oneself into an enlightened divinity. [...] Yoga Yogatantra and Anuttarayogatantra both involve the visualization and meditative absorption of a deity or deities, and the deities' retinue and mandala (samādhi). In Yogatantra, the object of one's meditation is usually a single deity such as Avalokiteśvara, or Ārya Tārā, "Green Tārā", whose supernatural strength and speed helps devotees overcome obstacles.
Tibetan Buddhism includes schools such as Nyingma, Kadampa, Kagyu and Gelug. Their primary canon of literature is divided in two broad categories: The Kangyur, which consists of Buddha’s words, and the Tengyur, which includes commentaries from various sources. Esotericism and tantra techniques (vajrayāna) are collected indepently.
India history and geography
Yogatantra (योगतन्त्र) is the name of a Tantra categorized as “Aśvakrānta”, and is mentioned in a (further unknown) book in the possession of Kamlesh Punyark [=Śrī Kamaleśa Puṇyārka or श्री कमलेश पुण्यार्क].—This book contains a detailed discussion of the basics of Tantra and opens with a list of three times sixty-four Tantras. One such text is the योगतन्त्रम् [yogatantram] or योग-तन्त्र [yoga-tantra].
The history of India traces the identification of countries, villages, towns and other regions of India, as well as mythology, zoology, royal dynasties, rulers, tribes, local festivities and traditions and regional languages. Ancient India enjoyed religious freedom and encourages the path of Dharma, a concept common to Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism.
Languages of India and abroad
Sanskrit dictionary
1) Yogatantra (योगतन्त्र):—[=yoga-tantra] [from yoga] n. a [work] treating of the Yoga philosophy, [Harivaṃśa; Bhāgavata-purāṇa]
2) [v.s. ...] (with Buddhists) Name of a class of writings.
[Sanskrit to German]
Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Partial matches: Yoga, Tantra.
Full-text (+99): Anuttarayogatantra, Yoga, Mayajalamahatantraraja, Four initiations, dbang bskur bzhi, Highest yoga, Yu jia da te luo, Four classes of tantra, rgyud kyi sde bzhi, Highest yoga tantra, Performance tantra, Action tantra, Tantra Yoga, Mayajalatantra, Two stages, Namamantrarthavalokini, Generation stage, stong pa gsum, Completion stage, bum dbang.
Relevant text
Search found 35 books and stories containing Yogatantra, Yoga-tantra, Yoga-tantras; (plurals include: Yogatantras, tantras, tantrases). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Blue Annals (deb-ther sngon-po) (by George N. Roerich)
Chapter 1 - Account of Yoga-tantras < [Book 7 - The preaching of the Tantras]
Chapter 3 - Guhyasamāja-tantra system of Jñānapāda < [Book 7 - The preaching of the Tantras]
Chapter 1 - Secret Mantra In Jambudvīpa < [Book 10 - The Kālacakra]
Hevajra Tantra (analytical study) (by Seung Ho Nam)
1. Buddhist Tantric Literature < [Chapter 2 - Place of Hevajra Tantra in Tantric Literature]
2.1. Preliminary Stage of the Path < [Chapter 3 - Tantric Doctrine in Hevajra Tantra]
2. Paramitayana and Vajrayana Schools of Mahayana < [Chapter 1 - Tantric Buddhism]
Guhyagarbha Tantra (with Commentary) (by Gyurme Dorje)
Text 8.17 (Commentary) < [Chapter 8 (text and commentary)]
7. The Indian historical tradition of the Guhyagarbhatattvaviniścayamahātantra < [Introduction]
Text 13.18 (Commentary) < [Chapter 13 (Text and Commentary)]
Tibet (Myth, Religion and History) (by Tsewang Gyalpo Arya)
8. The Three Yanas < [Chapter 7 - Buddhism in Tibet]
9. The Highest Yoga Tantra < [Chapter 7 - Buddhism in Tibet]
10. Conclusion < [Chapter 7 - Buddhism in Tibet]
The Great Chariot (by Longchenpa)
Part 3 - Why they are the four tantras taught to those to be tamed < [A. Resolving the view]
Part 6 - The divisions of the three inner tantras < [A. Resolving the view]
Part 5 - How these are classified as the external secret mantra < [A. Resolving the view]
On the use of Human remains in Tibetan ritual objects (by Ayesha Fuentes)
Kāpālika implements in the formalization of Buddhist Mahāyoga Tantra < [Chapter 2 - The use of skulls and bone ornaments]
Charnel materials in the Saṃvara tradition < [Chapter 2 - The use of skulls and bone ornaments]
Methodology and structure < [Chapter 1 - Introduction]
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